I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to timekeeping and, more particularly, to the use of digital time displays for general purpose timekeeping, as most individuals typically undertake in going about their daily activities while watching and keeping track of the time.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Quadribalanced digital time displays are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,497, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Those displays comprise centrally positioned current hour digits flanked on the right by increasing minute digits which are displayed in upper and lower positions relative to the hour digits during the first and second quarter hours. Thereafter, incremented next hour digits are flanked on the left by decreasing minute digits which are displayed in lower and upper positions relative to the hour digits during the third and fourth quarter hours. In this way the four quarter hours are precisely defined, balanced and visually differentiated, while elapsed and future time are viewed during the respective first and second halves of each hour.
III. Recognition of Problems in the Prior Art
It has now been discovered that the previous quadribalanced displays have certain characteristics which are not the most desirable. In particular, as the respective quarter hours are displayed from the first through the fourth, the corresponding minute displays occupy only a limited portion of the total space surrounding the centrally positioned hours. Throughout the hour, most of this space remains completely empty, thus giving some viewers a sense of incompleteness and a contradictory or incorrect suggestion that these spaces are not functional in the overall display, at least while they remain blank.
By way of contrast and example, most conventional dial watches and clocks are not characterized in the same way. They usually have from four to twelve hour digits, with or without intermediate minute hash marks, positioned around the periphery of the dial, thereby making the viewer visually conscious of the fact that the entire area swept around the dial by the hour and minute hands has a role in defining the time at one time or another during the course of an hour. The lack of similar symbolism and effects in the quadribalanced displays of U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,497 potentially detracts from their utility and appeal to consumers.